Yuleng Khor

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Yu-Leng is an Oxford University and LSE-trained business economist. Specialist in data visualization, analytics, deep-dive market intelligence and risk. In commodities her focus is sustainable supply-chains and trade. She has worked in finance, agribusiness and infrastructure with a Southeast Asia focus; and she is a political-economist on social data, voting preferences and mobility.

She is Associate (Sustainability) at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs; Advisor to Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots (Malaysia). She was Associate at Barry Callebaut-ETH Zurich's HCSA geospatial project, and a past Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS-Yushof Ishak Institute of Singapore (2013), Research Associate at the Institute of China Studies, University Malaya (2017-2019), and regional Research Head for agro-commodity economic consultant LMC International Ltd (2014-2017. She has advised Fortune 500 global brand names and commodity groups, and she was a lead economist on the 2018 palm oil study for the EU Commission.

Yu Leng has published articles and book chapters. She has presented her work to academia and business forums, and she is on expert panels for banks and fund managers (Singapore & Hong Kong) and UNIDO. Her commentaries are featured in regional and international media outlets, including the South China Morning Post and Channel News Asia.

Articles can be found on LinkedIn: bit.ly/3JLVq5R

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Papers by Yuleng Khor

Haze Outlook 2022

Singapore Institute of International Affairs, 2022

The annual Haze Outlook report provides an assessment of the likelihood of a transboundary haze i... more The annual Haze Outlook report provides an assessment of the likelihood of a transboundary haze incident affecting Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The haze is a recurring air pollution problem in Southeast Asia caused by forest and land fires, posing serious health hazards and contributing significantly to climate change.

The report is produced by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) with information from several sources and through engagements with our many stakeholders. Our risk assessment is based on three factors: weather (projected rainfall and temperature), people (human behaviour), and policies (climate and land management directions).

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Mapping the Natural Rubber Value Chain in Malaysia

WWF Malaysia, 2021

Malaysia is the world’s seventh largest producer and eighth largest consumer of natural rubber in... more Malaysia is the world’s seventh largest producer and eighth largest consumer of natural rubber in the world. Rubber products in Malaysia are broadly used for three sectors, namely tyres, industrial custom rubber products, and consumables such as gloves and shoes. Malaysia is a major importer of natural rubber from Thailand, as most Malaysian-grown natural rubber goes to tyre applications. The rubber sector is the second largest agricultural sector in Malaysia behind the oil palm sector, and has a significant impact on the environment.

For the rubberwood sector, around 90 to 95% of rubberwood goes towards the furniture segment in Malaysia. This segment accounts for 70 to 75% of the rubberwood sector’s RM8 to RM9 billion per year of export value in recent years.

Rubber production is dominated by smallholders, at 96%, and is a crucial sector in providing job security. As an important commodity to the nation and the rural population, WWF conducted a study to understand the natural rubber value chain in the country.

The report found two key issues pertaining to the natural rubber industry, being the lack of sustainability and lack of traceability. In terms of sustainability, some major Malaysian furniture companies indicate the usage of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Controlled Wood and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified wood, although the volumes used are not publicly disclosed.

The report outlines the key issues and recommendations for the natural rubber industry to achieve sustainability and traceability.

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Haze Outlook 2021

Singapore Institute of International Affairs, 2021

The Haze Outlook 2021 Report provides a risk assessment of the probability of a severe transbound... more The Haze Outlook 2021 Report provides a risk assessment of the probability of a severe transboundary haze incident affecting Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore in 2021. The haze is a recurring air pollution problem in Southeast Asia caused by forest and land fires, posing serious health hazards and contributing significantly to climate change. The Report is produced by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) with information from several sources and through engagements with our many stakeholders. Our risk assessment is based on three factors: weather (projected rainfall and temperature), peat (land management policies), and people (human behaviour).

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Counting Migrant Workers in Malaysia: A Needlessly Persisting Conundrum

 While foreign labour management is a top policy priority in Malaysia, the number of foreign wor... more  While foreign labour management is a top policy priority in Malaysia, the number of foreign workers in the country is a perennial mystery.  The official estimate of total foreign workers dropped from 6.7 million in late 2014 to 3.8 million in 2016. However, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) reports that the number of foreign workers, encompassing both documented and undocumented ones, increased from 1.8 million in 2013 to 2.2 million in 2016.  The LFS is the authoritative reference on the Malaysian workforce but undercounts foreign labour. Other sources such as the National Employment Returns usefully report the share of local and foreign workers within establishments.  Combining the respective strengths of the LFS and the NER, we estimate a minimum number of foreign workers of about 3.85 million. Given the clear undercounting in these datasets, the actual total must be significantly higher, possibly around 5.5 million.  It is imperative, and possible, for the Malaysian government to provide credible estimates of the number of foreign workers. Increasing clarity and veracity in this most basic information will enhance public discourse and policy making.

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ESG in Practice: A Closer Look at Sustainability in ASEAN's Palm Oil and Pulpwood Sectors. SIIA Special Report

The report begins with an analysis of how ESG considerations have developed in the agribusiness a... more The report begins with an analysis of how ESG considerations have developed in the agribusiness and forestry sectors, reviewing the changing demands of customers and financiers, the proliferation of sustainability reporting and rating schemes, and how materiality in ESG should be defined for these sectors. The following sections assess the leading companies’ implementation of environmental, social, and governance practices respectively, highlighting developments and gaps within the ESG landscape, before discussing how these ESG issues are approached by medium-sized companies in the industry. The penultimate section turns to important recent externalities that may impact ESG implementation, such as lower commodity prices and COVID-19. Finally, the report proposes recommendations to address gaps and better align producers, consumers, financiers, and regulators, in order to collectively pursue robust and realistic standards for sustainability. Efforts are required in four main areas: (1) positive reinforcement for companies raising their ESG standards; (2) promoting sustainable finance; (3) harmonising standards and disclosures; as well as (4) “raising the floor” to help smaller players implement sustainable practices.

Commodity pressures, rural voters and tropical Trumps, The Edge Malaysia, 17 Dec 2018

The Felda case study. Consulting Study 12, The High Carbon Stock Science Study 2015

SIIA Haze Outlook 2020

The SIIA Haze Outlook 2020 report provides a risk assessment of the probability of a severe trans... more The SIIA Haze Outlook 2020 report provides a risk assessment of the probability of a severe transboundary haze incident affecting Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The haze is a recurring air pollution problem in Southeast Asia, posing serious health hazards and contributing significantly to climate change. The SIIA Haze Outlook is produced by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) with information from several sources and through engagements with our many stakeholders. Our risk assessment is based on three factors: weather (temperature and rainfall conditions), peat (policies and action related to peatland management), and people (fire prevention and suppression efforts on the ground). The SIIA Haze Outlook 2020 is supported by the Lee Foundation. This is the second annual edition of the SIIA Haze Outlook. Our inaugural report was released at the Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources, organised in May 2019 by the SIIA. The SIIA Haze Outlook 2020 comprises not only research and analysis but also builds on the SIIA&#39;s ongoing engagement with sustainability and resource sector stakeholders in the region. A total of 13 stakeholders were interviewed for this report, representing a cross-section of palm oil companies, pulp and paper (pulpwood) companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and academics.

The SIJORI Cross-Border Region: Transnational Politics, Economics, and Culture

Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 2017

Twenty-five years ago, the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia agreed to jointly pr... more